We’ve now produced a 'Mega' review of the HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy SII going head to head on all aspects of the phones. We thought you may be interested in reading the review. It starts:
Recently two new 'super phones' have been unleashed into the marketplace on the Android platform and thanks to our good friends at O2 UK we've been given the chance to produce a head-to-head review of both machines. We are of course talking dual core here and that means the Sensation from HTC and the Galaxy SII from Samsung.
Both machines are dual core with embedded graphics processors on board but they are designed in different ways with respect to the hardware and seemingly the end user market. The Sensation uses a half-shell body design and appears at first glance to be a big brother to the Desire S. The Galaxy SII is constructed from plastic and follows on from the hardware first encountered in the original Galaxy S model.
As we move through the review we'll look in turn at the differences in hardware and the custom user interfaces employed by the manufacturers, looking at the positive and negatives of each machine. The aim being not to show which is the 'best in class' machine, but to enable you to make up your own mind as to which machine would suit you as a prospective owner.
You can read the full review online here:
http://www.smartphonegurus.com/forums/topic/13554-mega-review-htc-sensation-v-samsung-galaxy-sii/
Waste of time reading that, I got the impression that reviewer lacked a neutral position in his write up or is a n00b.
Completely neutral mate and with a long standing reputation for accuracy. I've been impartially and honestly reviewing for over 10 years now.
What I printed is what I found after a lot of usage and testing.
If you disagree then please post your findings and let the discussions commence.
That is a super big review... Great work
Tekguru said:
Completely neutral mate and with a long standing reputation for accuracy. I've been impartially and honestly reviewing for over 10 years now.
What I printed is what I found after a lot of usage and testing.
If you disagree then please post your findings and let the discussions commence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've compared the photos from both phones on a screen at full resolution and I cannot agree with what you're saying about the sensation producing the more natural colours and true photo. In my experience the Galaxy S produces the more honest picture of the subjects in the photo and with better quality. I also found the battery life to be the exact opposite of what you've published with my workmate not being able to leave his charger for his Sensation at home as the device cannot last a workday without needing to be recharged whilst I get close to 48 hours on mine between charge and that is will fairly heavy use.
lol what a htc fanboy.. look at those pros/cons list... gtfo.
Tekguru said:
Completely neutral mate and with a long standing reputation for accuracy. I've been impartially and honestly reviewing for over 10 years now.
What I printed is what I found after a lot of usage and testing.
If you disagree then please post your findings and let the discussions commence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My god,
I hope reviewing isn't your day job, horrendous taste and ability to perceive reality.
Sent from my Synchronous Dual Core Galactic Korean Beastly Device
Intratech said:
Waste of time reading that, I got the impression that reviewer lacked a neutral position in his write up or is a n00b.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Also, considering how late this review is out compared to others, none of real world pros and cons of both devices as reported by users seems to be taken in to account or explored. And the "cons" for the SGS2? Battery cover, long pressing the menu key to search, and some applications force close? A bit of a reach, no? And in spite of all the issues users are reporting on the Sensation forum, the cons are a locked boot loader and lack of NAND? I applaud the amount of detail and work that went in to the review by the creator but in spite of the statement of being unbiased its imbedded in the editorial.
I'm not sure how you came up with "dismal battery life" for the SGII. I have the phone and the battery is solid. I get an average of 16 hours of battery life, with around 30% to spare when I plug it in. This is with 4 exchange e-mail accounts on push, texting and checking e-mail throughout the day, etc.
Also, all of the other photo comparisons I have seen show the GSII to be the better shooter. Phonearena gave the Sensation poor marks on the camera. It seems to be a mixed bag for that phone, but I consistently see high marks for the GSII camera in every review I read.
Given your results on both camera and battery life, I would have to question your testing methodology. You also claimed both phones were fast web browsers, but videos on Phonedog clearly showed the Sensation lagging and stuttering during web browsing, where the GSII was completely smooth.
Wouldn't load for me I'm assuming because I refused the cookie.
He had a HTC phone thats were the 3rd phone came from in the pics. mybee not as bias as already knew his way around htc sence. so sgs made nosence. It has a few things u forgot to even commit on.
Sgs is for power users and htc is for those who just whant a phone.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
diehard2222 said:
lol what a htc fanboy.. look at those pros/cons list... gtfo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah seems to have a pretty obvious htc tilt with too many subjective conclusions.
Also not very thorough with his review. On a cursory flip-through I found the following errors:
1. Call answer screen of SGSII also shows the latest FB update of the caller if social hub is activated.
2. Camera: Metering :OP suggests SGSII does only centre weighted metering & not matrix mode - Untrue- option available under menu.
3. Geotag: OP suggests no geotagging in SGSII: Incorrect. Geotagging option in menu. Geotag shows up just fine in picasa.
4. Alarm: SGSII has snooze settings & options for number & duration of snooze in menu.
5. Long pressing the menu bar brings up the standard Search box (Not a web only search)- I use it to routinely search and start apps so I know.
6. OP mentions 'added functionality' of the sensation browser to highlight text in browser and copy, search or share it. This 'added' functionality is added in SGSII as well.
7. A 'big' bonus appeared to be the locations app which OP says provides turn-by-turn GPS 'based on free of charge map data'. Sounded great till the next para which said one could start a '30 day trial of the Premium Navigation system and test out the turn-by-turn GPS navigation system' ?
8. The battery graph looked somewhat iffy as well. However the set could have been wonky seeing how some people seemed to have battery problems on the SGSII- I've had it once caused by a misbehaving app.. However, I'm happy my SGSII does a lot more while consuming lot less battery. (My blog link below has some battery life screenshots from the android battery graph)
9. Cons list 'some' applications on the SII force close. As OP mentions, I too have had the APMobile force close once. None of the others did. Skeptic about the 'some' bit.
This was from a quick read. There could be other inconsistencies in the review as well.
Healthy dose of salt please.
Intratech said:
I've compared the photos from both phones on a screen at full resolution and I cannot agree with what you're saying about the sensation producing the more natural colours and true photo. In my experience the Galaxy S produces the more honest picture of the subjects in the photo and with better quality. I also found the battery life to be the exact opposite of what you've published with my workmate not being able to leave his charger for his Sensation at home as the device cannot last a workday without needing to be recharged whilst I get close to 48 hours on mine between charge and that is will fairly heavy use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto with the battery life.
Not much of a camera expert but viewed on a regular screen the colours seem neutral (On the phone screen it does appear a touch vivid).
Found some other errors i mentioned in my last post as well.
How is the pro of the sensation "Godly" amount of RAM at 768mb and the S2 only a "good" amount of RAM at 1gb? Also sense takes up a ****LOAD of RAM...
Just watched a video review online comparing the two devices lol... only thing HTC beat the S2 on was linpack score... and even then my NOT overclocked S2 got a better score than it. You could tell from the video that browsing was clearly smoother on the S2 too. Hmmm glad I bought this over the sensation tbh...
I also think this device is more likely get get special attention in the dev community. Ah well. Both good phones either way.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Only 1 thing needs said flash addict. Unlocked bootloaders.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
tuhinz said:
Yeah seems to have a pretty obvious htc tilt with too many subjective conclusions.
Also not very thorough with his review. On a cursory flip-through I found the following errors:
1. Call answer screen of SGSII also shows the latest FB update of the caller if social hub is activated.
2. Camera: Metering :OP suggests SGSII does only centre weighted metering & not matrix mode - Untrue- option available under menu.
3. Geotag: OP suggests no geotagging in SGSII: Incorrect. Geotagging option in menu. Geotag shows up just fine in picasa.
4. Alarm: SGSII has snooze settings & options for number & duration of snooze in menu.
5. Long pressing the menu bar brings up the standard Search box (Not a web only search)- I use it to routinely search and start apps so I know.
6. OP mentions 'added functionality' of the sensation browser to highlight text in browser and copy, search or share it. This 'added' functionality is added in SGSII as well.
7. A 'big' bonus appeared to be the locations app which OP says provides turn-by-turn GPS 'based on free of charge map data'. Sounded great till the next para which said one could start a '30 day trial of the Premium Navigation system and test out the turn-by-turn GPS navigation system' ?
8. The battery graph looked somewhat iffy as well. However the set could have been wonky seeing how some people seemed to have battery problems on the SGSII- I've had it once caused by a misbehaving app.. However, I'm happy my SGSII does a lot more while consuming lot less battery. (My blog link below has some battery life screenshots from the android battery graph)
9. Cons list 'some' applications on the SII force close. As OP mentions, I too have had the APMobile force close once. None of the others did. Skeptic about the 'some' bit.
This was from a quick read. There could be other inconsistencies in the review as well.
Healthy dose of salt please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Woah! You read the whole thing? After I my BS radar started to tick I only skimmed it. You're a very studious bloke.
Similarly, I also get 1.5 days worth of usage ...usually have 40%+ at the end of a day so clearly something was wrong in the review (old firmware?).
And I do lose a lot of respect for a reviewer who doesn't know that long pressing the menu button emulates the search button....poor form there.
Beginning with the screen, I think you find extremely difficult to ever let yourself say that the SII has the advantage in anything. Even Engadget admits that the SAMOLED+ is a superb screen, but I find it amazing that your conclusion (last paragraph of that section) of it is that it is "grainy" and "unrealistic" whilst the HTC is concluded to be of good "clarity"...really? If that's unbiased....I would hate to see what your biased is.
I could go through each section and show you how biased you are but for simplicities sake, the amount of times you used "impressive" to describe the Sensation is quite impressive in itself. And the amount of times that the SII is odd or weird... really? Looking at the email section, I don't quite get the the unusualness of the features...wouldn't useful be a better description? Bias at its finest again.
In Camera, you again missed the ability of the SII to customise the shortcuts as the user wants. As for geo-tagging....did you even open the options? Geotagging is right there...along with the other features from blink detection, anti-shake...
Now take your conclusion to the benchmarks section...its conclusion is the the Sensation can do better later....I'm sorry you are *comparing* right? So at some point the words SII completely trashed the Sensation should be in the final paragraph to that section, no? That whole section is a justificiation that despite the Sensations low scores, its better than the Desire S (really, thats what your comparing to?) and runs smooth in day-to-day operations...How about the SII? Amazing scores, silky smooth performance noted by many reviews to be smoother than the Sensation. Bias...again. A conclusion should be Both phones are extremely smooth in most operations, with the SII having a slight edge in web browsing and also holding the crown in benchmarks.
Keyboard...you did look at settings right? And saw the XT9 word prediction option? Again, thorough review.
If you can compare additional features in one phone (locations) surely you should do likewise in the other? What about Kies Wifi allowing the SII to transfer files, stream music or control most phone functions simply from a web browser. And Vlingo voice control and Driving Mode? All passed over since this review wasn't really a comparison, it was a self-justification of how the Sensation was a better phone.
Poor "comparative" review. Even Engadget seems less biased.
Intratech said:
Woah! You read the whole thing? After I my BS radar started to tick I only skimmed it. You're a very studious bloke.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh heh. Thats coz the GF slept off!
..Actually the prodigious load of BS in the review angered me into writing it just so potential buyers arent taken in by the crap. Sensation Vs SGSII is a hot topic and I expect many buyers to skim xda for pointers.
It says a lot when nobody in the Sensation forum bothered to even reply to the OP after 104 views.
Related
Tech radar did a very good full review of the Legend!!
Some questions have been answered for me:
-VGA camera video recording instead of CIF
-Very nice under direct sunlight opposed to the N1
Here's the Review: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/htc-legend-675421/review?artc_pg=1
Excellent find! Thanks!
I can't wait to get my hands on it when it starts shipping in April!
A couple of concerns I have based on that review:
- can't edit office docs natively
- non-hotswappable microSD
- battery life concern
- buggy wifi and bluetooth connections: I hope this is just because the device was an early non-retail build.
Also the review had the following to say about text-reflow in the browser:
One slight downside - we've let iPhone users play with the HTC Legend (we know, sacrilege) and they've said the text resizing takes longer than on their phone - if this doesn't apply to you, we doubt you'll notice it.
To that I say, "What?!". I wasn't aware the iPhone Safari browser did text-reflow at all! My iPod Touch certainly doesn't! Those fanboys are just sour that something better is out there...
About battery life with ALL new cell phones since 2008 we need at least 6 weeks of battery cycles before saying if it's bad or not, Nobody can judge out of the box if the battery is good or not.
When I bought 2 months ago my SE Aino the battery had to be recharged overnight on first week and I am not a heavy user...now 2 months later the battery is lasting 3 days and half. This experience was the same with my ex-Satio and ex-5800, so I think we don't have to worry about Legend's battery!
The review also complain a little on screen resolution while we know that it's 320x480 on a 3.2'' surface while the iphone (which has a very good reputation for its screen rendering) is the same resolution on a larger surface 3.5'', so the Legend beat down the iphone all the way in this field. And yes HTC could have used the wide empty space under the screen for an additonal 0.2'' but they didn't
What the review doesn't say that's interesting is the ringtone volume
There are still some questions this Review doesn't answer:
- Will the Black version be released in April? (Better for scratches)
- What will be the capacity of the SD card?
http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,...0.htm?s_cid=82
http://gizmodo.com/5488019/htc-legen...eels-expensive
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-legend-review-0876928/
kkhalil76 said:
http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39030106,49305224,00.htm
http://gizmodo.com/5488019/htc-legen...eels-expensive
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-legend-review-0876928/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great finds! Thanks!
I'm not sure if it's good or bad that nobody else mentioned the bluetooth/wifi issues that Tech Radar's review had. Either it was a one-off thing or the other reviewers didn't test those features.
Btw, that CNET review ticked me off. The reviewer sounded like an Apple fanboy with phrases like this:
Android is still clunkier and geekier than the iPhone operating system but, if you can't live without features like Flash support, the Legend is a fantastic alternative to Apple's handset.
Then I looked up another article that she wrote and it all makes sense.
Yep Apple bought tons of ''tech journalists'' since the Ipod and Iphone.
The only thing that I didn't like is that the paint can scratch easily, and no word yet about a coming release of the black edition,ok the Legend is ''Alu inside'' but I personally preffer the brushed metal of Hero over the ''cheap'' paint
I'm not so sure you guys are right about cnet's reviewer, if you've read a few more reviews and listened to the cnet podcast you'd know that she's a big fan of android.
It's not a bad thing that android is labeled geekier than the iphone, since the iphone is the dumb blond of the smartphone world, and that will always have more mass appeal
kkhalil76 said:
I'm not so sure you guys are right about cnet's reviewer, if you've read a few more reviews and listened to the cnet podcast you'd know that she's a big fan of android.
It's not a bad thing that android is labeled geekier than the iphone, since the iphone is the dumb blond of the smartphone world, and that will always have more mass appeal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. It was probably unfair of me to label her as a fanboy since I don't know much about her. But it just seems unprofessional when you're reviewing a product and you make the effort to squeeze in little praises for the iPhone...
"...reminding us of the first-generation iPhone -- the most attractive version so far."
"...holding your finger on a page reveals a magnifying glass that helps you select and copy text, which is a handy feature cribbed from the iPhone."
"...the Android Market. It's not as well-organised as the iPhone's App Store,..."
Well, like it or not, and I personally don't, the iphone has provided a very slick user experience for the first time in the mobile world.
I don't like all its limitations and have no interest in buying any apple prodcuts, but there you have it. And that's why you almost can't read a single review without an iphone comparison, despite many reviewers missing the point that it's not an apples to apples comaprison, that if the apple offered what andriod does, it would also be 'geekier'.
I think Andoid's challenge is to move closer to looking like a dumb blond in terms of the user experience and everything working togetger seamlessly (including a music solution etc) but still offering the hardware variety and software freedom...
Review from Engadget.
This is the 2nd review that mentions the device's wifi reception issues
I wish they would have tested the bluetooth reception....
Wifi can be boosted by a FW upgrade but how Techradar/TrustedReviews and Engadget have very opposite report about the screen under sunlight??
As for the battery like I said it's useless to test it out of the box, they could at least compare it with a light user like me instead of focusing on a super heaby user, I mean my own Aino that last 3 full days with my usage would not last 8 hours with open 3G/BT/WIFI/GPS
As for video recording it's VGA 30fps but video bitrate seem low (perhaps a modded Cam driver can beefed this up)
Very nice review from TrustedReview: http://www.trustedreviews.com/mobile-phones/review/2010/03/10/HTC-Legend/p1
They are the first to say battery can last 2 days
I'm surprised they gave the legend such high scores, most of the review sounded critical
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/10/htc-legend-review/
Because the negative critics toward the Legend are minor
http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/index.php/htc-legend-review
Another review popped up. This one from KnowYourCell.
It seems from all these reviews that the main flaws of the device are:
-battery life (probably not that big a deal once the battery is conditioned from day-to-day use)
-update frequency of Friendstream widget is slow.
For my usage the battery should last around 2-3 days because I will not use 3G nor GPS, as for BT and WIFI I use them for about 15mins before sleeping that's all.
Now in summer I will use about 2-3 hours a day of GPS because of the jogging GPS tracker (calories burned)
Is raging thunder 2 running on that device?
I'm not really too sure what engadget is trying to get across. The only thing I saw was the microscopic shot comparison as having any validity. But even then, if you need to 10x magnify a screen to see the difference, is it really worth it?
Then, they go and show pictures of the Super AMOLED display, which people are going to be seeing on an LCD!
So I took it upon myself to write up an article on my group blog, *visually* showing what the difference truly is.
Disclaimer: I own/operate the blog to the article link I am about to post.
http://www.brainlazy.com/article/smartphone/iphone-4-vs-samsung-galaxy-s
Let me know what you guys think. I'm currently getting all of the features into a Galaxy S review.
Nice analogies man hahaha. Good read
The Galaxy S camera isn't "Back-side illuminated" - you should correct your comparison table.
You really need to get your eyes checked if you need to be closer than 30 cm to see the pixels of the pentile screen. The only thing better about the Super Amoled screen is the blacklevels - that's it(besides size that is). The colors are off, the whites are pretty dim, the shadow detail is usually colored(due to the pixel structure) and you can clearly see color-banding which you cannot on the IPS display of the iPhone.
The Galaxy S is a better phone imho, but when it comes to the display the iPhone 4 has the SGS beaten.
EDIT: The SGS has a a Li-Ion battery not Li-Pol.
Anyone speak Italian?! If so look at this: youtube.com/watch?v=NMsl7ceJuK4
Hey guys, thanks for the input. Does anyone have a link to the camera sensor? I had asked a Samsung Representative if they used a back-side illuminated cmos sensor and they replied in the affirmative.
Also, on this page: http://galaxys.samsungmobile.com/specification/spec.html?ver=low
They list the battery type at 1500 mAh li-pol.
I do agree the interpolated nature of the display has color banding issues, however, pixel density is a bit over rated. If you are critical of the SGS display at 30cm, I wonder how you've managed to cope with every computer monitor available today at 60cm. Even a 20" screen at 1080p is 111PPI, FAR lower than the SGS even with accounting for PenTile Matrix.
And if you can only list black levels as superior to LCD, maybe you need to play more fast paced video games. Response rate is critical. Between black levels and response rate, these are attributes that LCD will never be able to attain.
About color accuracy, I guess it's a toss up. Muddy blacks or color banding. Providing the amount of gradiation isn't intense, it's (almost) a non-issue. Shadowing (like you said) in media is a worry. But for most applications, you generally don't see long sprawling gradients.
And, I suppose pixel density is also subjective. I'd prefer to have true black and an immediate response rate. Also, while I can see the tiny little dots of pixels on my SGS at 30cm, they blend it very nice. Much nicer than my desktop monitor.
superb article. hilarious and [email protected]
Agreed, I had a blast reading the article.
It's a perfect to explain the difference to the technically challenged people that thinks Iphone4 is the holly grail.
now, the next best way to show technically challenged people is by having another one of these cool comparison but using an Iphone4 instead.
HTC Desire vs. Galaxy S
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpP5QljEqow
assuming some one manages to run Quake 2 on an Iphone4 LOL
btw in the chart near the end, you listed the gyro as Captivate model only, but its on all us models as far as I'm aware
Yea, I have to update the info since the NYC event. Also Samsung used lower numbers for response rate and contrast ratio, so I have to change my dollars/cents thing.
They lowered it exactly by half on each. So instead of 100,000:1 CR, they said 50,000:1. And instead of Response rate at 1 micro second they said 10 microseconds. Which is an order of magnitude different, but still very very nice.
Basically the the money will be chopped in half. Either way, I double checked with a Samsung rep and when I fix those things up, the chart will be accurate.
Images missing.
Thanks. Great article.
Can't see the images though.
thephawx said:
I'm not really too sure what engadget is trying to get across. The only thing I saw was the microscopic shot comparison as having any validity. But even then, if you need to 10x magnify a screen to see the difference, is it really worth it?
Then, they go and show pictures of the Super AMOLED display, which people are going to be seeing on an LCD!
So I took it upon myself to write up an article on my group blog, *visually* showing what the difference truly is.
Disclaimer: I own/operate the blog to the article link I am about to post.
http://www.brainlazy.com/article/smartphone/iphone-4-vs-samsung-galaxy-s
Let me know what you guys think. I'm currently getting all of the features into a Galaxy S review.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea the images are missing for me too! When i click where they should be, i get a 404 not found error.
Samsung is a genious...
Many dumbasses would say "The Galaxy S" doesnt have Flash is a BAD THING..
But to me.. its a GOOD THING ... iPhone 4 uses Single LED flash... This type of flash doesnt even have enough power to make a difference in your picture quality.. its more like a BULL**** feature to trick noobs to buy it.
You need at least a Dual LED/Xenon Flash...
Toss3 said:
The only thing better about the Super Amoled screen is the blacklevels - that's it(besides size that is). The colors are off, the whites are pretty dim, the shadow detail is usually colored(due to the pixel structure) and you can clearly see color-banding which you cannot on the IPS display of the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your kidding right? I've compared my phone to my mates iPhone 4 and the SGS is clearly superior. It has far better color and webpages are easily readable without zooming in whereas on the iPhone, it's a different story.
Obviously, we compared the two phones at full brightness. He has also returned his new iPhone and continues to use his 3g instead which aesthetically, looks better than the iPhone 4.
Billus said:
Your kidding right? I've compared my phone to my mates iPhone 4 and the SGS is clearly superior. It has far better color and webpages are easily readable without zooming in whereas on the iPhone, it's a different story.
Obviously, we compared the two phones at full brightness. He has also returned his new iPhone and continues to use his 3g instead which aesthetically, looks better than the iPhone 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come he returned his iphone4 is he going to get a Samsung S?
Billus said:
Your kidding right? I've compared my phone to my mates iPhone 4 and the SGS is clearly superior. It has far better color and webpages are easily readable without zooming in whereas on the iPhone, it's a different story.
Obviously, we compared the two phones at full brightness. He has also returned his new iPhone and continues to use his 3g instead which aesthetically, looks better than the iPhone 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll take the Galaxy S hands down any day of the week, particularly the screen and OS. However,
Obviously, we compared the two phones at full brightness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just flat out disagree with this testing procedure. It's borderline retarded IMHO.
[*]Firstly, especially with the webpages with reading (the thing you brought up half a line prior, though albeit in a different paragraph) reading demands low brightness.
[*]Secondly, read the posts here, everyone is turning the brightness to "0%", low, and even download an app that brings that "0%" down to true 0% rather than the 8% that it actually uses. People are doing this because it's easier on the eyes, saves battery and a multitude of other reasons.
[*]Thirdly, this screen is plenty bright without full brightness. Even in direct sunlight you don't need this at full brightness, the screen is that good (again, love it)
Really, in summary, the way you should test both devices is the real-world usage scenario. Anything else and all you are doing is showing off it's potential, not it's practical use. Again, I think I've posted here or another thread or both how much I was against the Engadget test, particularly because they lead with the macro lens shots. To me, that was sensationalist, they were trying to either get "oohs and ahhs" or make Apple look as good as possible. Either way, that's journalism at its worst and not even something I want to read in a blog I visit. However, to do something like turn brightness up all the way is just a tiny bit better...unless this is actually how you or your friend would use the device regularly. Again, I believe that each device can even, have an independent setting, one at 0% and one at 100% if that's how the user would typically use the device. To get back to my Engadget point, that's why it's important to give as many views and settings as possible. Compare them all, find out where one's strengths lie because you have such a wide audience. However, I'm not sure how many people use a macro lens to view their device on a daily basis, so leading with that is just retarded. Do I think it's completely irrelevant? Maybe not as perhaps there are some people who wouldn't get the detail needed because they have near super-human perfect vision where they can detect all these things that are too minor to even be called subtleties.
I have to say that in terms for average daily use, there isn't any real practical difference between the two phones at face value. I have a SGS, my wife has the iPhone 4 btw. But that being said, after spending any length of time with the iPhone 4, you will notice a difference once you go back to the SGS. If may not be initially obvious, but your eyes will be able to discern the difference.
If you're using the phone to read mucho text, I'm sorry, there is no way the SGS can trump the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 retina display is a beautiful one and I guarantee that if you use both for decent amount of time with an unbiased mind, you WILL notice the difference in terms of text definition and clarity.
However, when it comes to motion and movies, the SGS takes a dump all over the iphone. The iPhone, whilst still great to watch movies on, can't compare to the far superior contrast, colours, and vibrancy of the SGS AMOLED screen. When you have motion on screen and you're not squinting at text, the high pixel density, to me, almost doesn't even factor into the equation anymore.
So there's my two cents. I wouldn't trade my SGS for her iPhone 4 at all, however, I would probably sing a different tune if I did a lot of e-reading or web browsing on my phone. After using the iPhone to browse text for even a few minutes, I hated going back and doing the same on my SGS. Anyway, to say one display is practically (not technically) superior to the other only depends on the purpose of which you'll be using it for. Both are great and I don't see why people have to argue the point that one has to be better than the other.
hmm... i like reading my webpages at full brighness
i hate dim LCD or any kind of screens
Ptechnix said:
I have to say that in terms for average daily use, there isn't any real practical difference between the two phones at face value. I have a SGS, my wife has the iPhone 4 btw. But that being said, after spending any length of time with the iPhone 4, you will notice a difference once you go back to the SGS. If may not be initially obvious, but your eyes will be able to discern the difference.
If you're using the phone to read mucho text, I'm sorry, there is no way the SGS can trump the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 retina display is a beautiful one and I guarantee that if you use both for decent amount of time with an unbiased mind, you WILL notice the difference in terms of text definition and clarity.
However, when it comes to motion and movies, the SGS takes a dump all over the iphone. The iPhone, whilst still great to watch movies on, can't compare to the far superior contrast, colours, and vibrancy of the SGS AMOLED screen. When you have motion on screen and you're not squinting at text, the high pixel density, to me, almost doesn't even factor into the equation anymore.
So there's my two cents. I wouldn't trade my SGS for her iPhone 4 at all, however, I would probably sing a different tune if I did a lot of e-reading or web browsing on my phone. After using the iPhone to browse text for even a few minutes, I hated going back and doing the same on my SGS. Anyway, to say one display is practically (not technically) superior to the other only depends on the purpose of which you'll be using it for. Both are great and I don't see why people have to argue the point that one has to be better than the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree completely. My uses is what got me into the device. However, a guy come on here saying he was going to use this like an e-reader (novels) first and foremost, webpage viewer in the house on wifi quite a bit, with the tiniest bit of PMP qualities. He was asking something specifically about what apps to get IIRC, I told him to buy a Kindle, iPad or iPhone 4 (I think I rated the iPhone 4 above the iPad because of the portability that he desired, but can't quite remember). If I wasn't into A/V (plus an Android fan) I might not have this device.
AllGamer said:
hmm... i like reading my webpages at full brighness
i hate dim LCD or any kind of screens
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's cool, to each their own. I can see webpages being a bit more brightness required than e-ink, but as I said just in my opinion, this device is just flat out bright. But I think it's both of our opposite tastes here that made Samsung put in an independent (I think that's how it works rather than in aggregate with, though perhaps there is some mix...don't really care as I leave both all the way down) brightness control into the web browser. So you won't have to adjust your brightness up when going to the web and if I happened to be walking around on a sunny day I wouldn't have to adjust it downwards.
TriC_101 said:
Samsung is a genious...
Many dumbasses would say "The Galaxy S" doesnt have Flash is a BAD THING..
But to me.. its a GOOD THING ... iPhone 4 uses Single LED flash... This type of flash doesnt even have enough power to make a difference in your picture quality.. its more like a BULL**** feature to trick noobs to buy it.
You need at least a Dual LED/Xenon Flash...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not true..i have an iphone 4 and a Galaxy S. the flash helped the iphone cam a LOT......not a gimmic...no its not the best flash..but its better than none for sure
Hi guys, In just finished my Galaxy S review and would appreciate any constructive feedback
http://hemorrdroids.net/?p=528
It might also be useful for anyone trying to decide on buying one.
Thanks.
A comparison between the SGS and the Nexus with GPS test would be usefull.
Good, well writen review. I noticed the same thing, when I handed my phone to others, they always comment on how light it is. After unlocking, they are dazzled by the screen quality. The majority of my officemates use smartphones and know what OS, specs of their phones; Blackberry, Android, Symbian (Nokia) and iPhones and they comment on how nice the Galaxy S is. I have disabled TouchWiz for obvious reasons.
nice review, thx!
i will receive mine tomorrow. i feel like a little child on the day before christmas
I disagree with your interpretation of the camera test. The galaxy shots are much better. They show much better dynamic range. Look how the n1 clips the sky all over the place. Its almost hard to look at. The shadows are also very very dark and lack very much detail. Then look at the galaxy shot. The sky is clipped, but much less so. There is still detail in the clouds. In the shadows, there is also far more detail than in the nexus. The second photographs may not be as extreme but they certainly show the galaxy dealing much better with the high dinamic range situation. I would say the galaxy completely trounces the n1 in those two test shots.
edit: I think you are confusing global contrast with detail.
GPs test please
PS. I really enjoyed your review. It seems like a review from a real person not someone paid to do it or etc. man that phone takes great vids!
Also, canyon play with the camera setting & retry the pic test?
@snowboard
What's screen clipping: is it like tearing on monitors?
I spy a BBQ ! Om nom nom !
Seriously, nice review. Just ordered two SGS's
systoxity said:
GPs test please
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I realised about 10 minutes after I posted it that I should have included a GPS test. I'll try and get one added this afternoon. I'll post when I do.
Thanks for the complements. Help out by spreading the word
Follow @hemorrdroids
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
I did a Streak review a couple of weeks back. Are there any other devices out there dying for a review? (UK devices of course )
ither side of this is a menu and back button, but no search. I can’t say I’ve missed search, you just go in through menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you really miss the search button, try pushing the menu button a little longer..
Also, it's a bit strange you didn't even try touchwiz.. I tried launcher pro, but the look and feel of touchwiz is much more consistent with the rest of the native apps. The speed of touchwiz (specially after nolag fix) is very good, no difference with launcher pro.
What i also like is the samsung market where you get, otherwise paid, apps for free. Like Vlingo Voice Command, Asphalt 5 and some other stuff..
us1111 said:
Also, it's a bit strange you didn't even try touchwiz.. I tried launcher pro, but the look and feel of touchwiz is much more consistent with the rest of the native apps. The speed of touchwiz (specially after nolag fix) is very good, no difference with launcher pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, when I got it I was thinking more as a user and not a reviewer. I should have tried TouchWiz for a day to be able to give my own opinion on it, then switch to a different launcher so I can compare the two.
us1111 said:
What i also like is the samsung market where you get, otherwise paid, apps for free. Like Vlingo Voice Command, Asphalt 5 and some other stuff..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds cool, I didn't realise that tbh.
The GPS test is uploading to YouTube as I type, but it says it will be 99 minutes processing! Subscribe to the Hemorrdroids channel, or check back on the review in a couple of hours.
**EDIT** Okay, GPS test is added in
k2snowboards88 said:
I disagree with your interpretation of the camera test. The galaxy shots are much better. They show much better dynamic range. Look how the n1 clips the sky all over the place. Its almost hard to look at. The shadows are also very very dark and lack very much detail. Then look at the galaxy shot. The sky is clipped, but much less so. There is still detail in the clouds. In the shadows, there is also far more detail than in the nexus. The second photographs may not be as extreme but they certainly show the galaxy dealing much better with the high dinamic range situation. I would say the galaxy completely trounces the n1 in those two test shots.
edit: I think you are confusing global contrast with detail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Imo the nexus one looks better. So does alot of others...
Someone else suggested maybe I had a finger smudge on the lens when I took the SGS picture.
Have you looked at the folder full of pictures and videos? The link is nearer the end of the camera bit.
AndyCr15 said:
Someone else suggested maybe I had a finger smudge on the lens when I took the SGS picture.
Have you looked at the folder full of pictures and videos? The link is nearer the end of the camera bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are those all the sgs? Or mixed with nexus? They look pretty good..
You need to fix lous in this sentence. Nice review.
Although I don’t think it’s lous enough for me to take a shower and listen to it still, if I’m sat at my computer, I could have the SGS on the desk next to me a clearly hear the podcast player.
Thank you. Done
gd review, am looking to get one of these to replace desire, you guys think i should do it?
Great edits! i wish there was a review done exactly like this for the captivate
Is the Captivate what we would call the Samsung Wave over here in the UK?
temperbad said:
Imo the nexus one looks better. So does alot of others...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The white balance of the n1 is a little cool and the white balance of the sgs is a little warm. The white balance is a personal preference. The n1 has a higher contrast curve and really poor dynamic range. The increased contrast is pribably what makes you like the photo more. The problem comes why you want detail in light and dark places. You can't do it. You can't reduce contrast in software in any helpful kind of way. The sgs has a rather flat contrast curve which can be increased using software or even another camera program to suit your tastes. It also will work in more diverse situations.
AndyCr15 said:
Is the Captivate what we would call the Samsung Wave over here in the UK?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, The Captivate is AT&T's version the the Galaxy. The Samsung Wave is a different phone.
Just really getting tired of all these silly threads coming up on how someone has the most minute problem with this Zeus of a phone and needs to bash bash bash. I wanted to create a thread where users can post on the things that make them love their sgs2.
For me its the 1080p video recording. Just installed the modded camera apk from the Dev section and took a video. WOW am I impressed.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
I agree. Really impressed by the device. Using it for 3 weeks now and it never failed. Coming from Milestone, this is heaven.
I was thinking of starting a similar thread. With every person with an issue posting a crisis thread assuming everyone else is having the same problem the front page looks a horror story. Then the same three people with the issue post a dozen posts, basically to each other, and you have three pages worth of the exact same thing repeated over and over. Then, god forbid you post anything that doesn't support the latest conspiracy theory and you're flamed.
My phone's part of my life - not my life. I don't think that's so for some of my fellow owners. I mean seriously, I know the phone's not cheap, and it's not perfect, but compared to everything out there it's fantastic. Using a car analogy, if the dash lighting on your BMW's not to your liking you suck it up. You don't try to get a gaggle of those that also don't like the dash lighting and attack BMW. Either live with it, trade the car in, and/or never buy another BMW again. The same thing applies to the SGS2. If Samsung does lurk this board we're undoubtedly providing them with tons of laughs as a small percentage of users are ballistic having had the realization the phone wasn't designed specifically for them.
Anyway, I just got back from an extended trip and here's some of the things I really like about the phone:
1) The software's tight. It responds quickly and consistently each and every time. I've had no funkiness turning the various data functions on and off and all the integrated apps work well together just like they're supposed to.
2) As a media device the phone's the best out there. I downloads a bunch of MKV files before the trip and the phone isn't even phased. Web browsing is fast and fluid and I personally like the Media and Reader Hubs.
3) As an audio device the phone's great. I have about 2,000 tracks on it that are DRM protected Rhapsody files and they play flawlessly. The audio output's great for the way I use the phone - through headphones, via Bluetooth, and through the onboard speaker.
4) The phone aspect works well for me. I can hear people clearly and they can hear me both through the handset and Bluetooth. So many new high-end phones suck at being just a phone.
5) I love the screen. The vividness of the colors and blackness of the blacks are unmatched. That especially shines through with videos, pictures, and web browsing.
Well, those are the things that stand out for me. Anything not mentioned doesn't mean I don't like it, they're either not important or functioning as designed. The latter being a good thing.
So to all potential purchasers, take time to read through this forum beyond the crisis posts. The mute majority is actually quite happy with the SGS2.
Everything nothing is bad some can be improved is my view battery display GPS good .
My phone's part of my life - not my life
Agree but you must understand many posters love the phone as they cannot get a girlfriend .
Others are not technically minded enough to use the phone the ones who double post dont use search or read faqs must fall in to that category .
Then their are the sad ex Iphone users who need hand holding or HTC who buy a phone without sense ..
jje
Agreed. People take this stuff way too close to the heart.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Well, I love my SGS2. I can post here It may not be 100% perfect, but no phone is. This device is the best on the Market right now imo, I recommend it to my friends. They really like the screen, the colours and ultra blacks
I seriously couldnt think of anything I dont like. Only thing I hope is developers start optimizing their apps for the Galaxy S II!
i luv luv luv my sgs2
JJEgan said:
Agree but you must understand many posters love the phone as they cannot get a girlfriend .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMFAO! that's pretty funny! I actually think they COULD get a girlfriend, but it's easier to invest 600+ euro in a phone, rather than investing 600+ euro in a make over, getting into shape and dating. Lol. I love my phones, a lot. But that has NEVER stopped me from dating hehe.
EDIT: You can always find a way to get both in your life! Like, taking public transport to dates, and then while in the tube / bus / train, you could tinker with your phone ^^
I've bought Samsung Galaxy S 2 few days ago and it's incredible!
Granted, I used to have Touch HD so I don't really have anythin good to compare it to, but anyway, I'm in love with it.
P.S. This is like my second post or something
Have fun
I agree. In fact reading so many threads about issues here and there, I started getting cold feet and became concerned the device would be sub-par. However, its an amazing device.
I love the HD recording. I love that Samsung took issues with the previous Galaxy S series and added new functions. For example, there are now settings to change the touch-key light settings to 1.5s to 6s to always off/on or only in the dark. Nice feature. My battery life is better than I had hoped for and haven't even used the power mode feature which is also a nice feature.
My previous phone was a Captivate with serious GPS issues. The GPS in the SGS2 can get up to 4m-10m accuracy. I take the train everyday and while the Cappy used to show me a few km away on a highway, the SGS2 will actually show me as being on the train tracks with dead on accuracy.
It doesn't overheat, doesn't have any yellow streaks and I love my SGS2
I love being able to do anything within 3 seconds with my SGS2
Me: *click *click "Bring me pizza! Now!"
SGS2: Your wish is my command, sir. Meanwhile, could you please rephrase your voice command?
Me: ArrrRRRrr!
coincoinlapin said:
I love being able to do anything within 3 seconds with my SGS2
Me: *click *click "Bring me pizza! Now!"
SGS2: Your wish is my command, sir. Meanwhile, could you please rephrase your voice command?
Me: ArrrRRRrr!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ha ha ha LOL!
Yeah with every day and with every tuning and tweaking and every new good app
I love it more and more.
At the beginning, i allready thought to get it back.. but now i wouldn't give it away
blue265 said:
I agree. In fact reading so many threads about issues here and there, I started getting cold feet and became concerned the device would be sub-par. However, its an amazing device.
I love the HD recording. I love that Samsung took issues with the previous Galaxy S series and added new functions. For example, there are now settings to change the touch-key light settings to 1.5s to 6s to always off/on or only in the dark. Nice feature. My battery life is better than I had hoped for and haven't even used the power mode feature which is also a nice feature.
My previous phone was a Captivate with serious GPS issues. The GPS in the SGS2 can get up to 4m-10m accuracy. I take the train everyday and while the Cappy used to show me a few km away on a highway, the SGS2 will actually show me as being on the train tracks with dead on accuracy.
It doesn't overheat, doesn't have any yellow streaks and I love my SGS2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now this is comforting to hear. Like the man said I was getting cold feet, first the camera issue, now the OELD burnin/yellow issues, people whining about wifi range and battery life.
You'd think this device was a disaster. Yet all the reviews praise the **** out of it. So I was starting to have some doubts about buying it but, it's really nice to see some positive community feedback that goes to show once again that a very loud minority can indeed make you doubt your choices...
Most of these forums are plagued with issues posting because
1. These forums are the easiest location to find solutions for issues. Great gateway to compare experiences (it would be great if people searched and posted in the same topic thread instead of making a new one)
2. It represents a very tiny part of the whole population of owners hence amplifying the issues no matter how many folks are affected by it
3. Most folks won't post unless they run into an issue
As for me. Device has been nothing but stellar
- Great battery life (much better than any other smartphone that i've had and i've had many since the winmo slide out qwerty keyboard device days)
- Improved SAMOLED screen over the last gen and it's noticeably sharper
- Form factor. There is nothing else like it and it's comfortable in my hand and my pocket
- Quickness. There is nothing really slowing down the device at all.
- WIFI - Reception is better than my galaxy s and gets better throughput than any other wifi device that i own except my computer
- Cell reception - My apartment is located next to the water and i don't get great reception in certain parts of my apartment and i get much better reception - four to three bars of hspa+!!! (I get dropped calls with my verizon bb sometimes and none for the gsii yet)
- Comes with gingerbread from the factory and updated constantly
My honeymoon period is over and there are certainly few things that they could have improved on but i'm glad i got the gs2 on the launch day.
ph00ny said:
Most of these forums are plagued with issues posting because
1. These forums are the easiest location to find solutions for issues. Great gateway to compare experiences (it would be great if people searched and posted in the same topic thread instead of making a new one)
2. It represents a very tiny part of the whole population of owners hence amplifying the issues no matter how many folks are affected by it
3. Most folks won't post unless they run into an issue
As for me. Device has been nothing but stellar
- Great battery life (much better than any other smartphone that i've had and i've had many since the winmo slide out qwerty keyboard device days)
- Improved SAMOLED screen over the last gen and it's noticeably sharper
- Form factor. There is nothing else like it and it's comfortable in my hand and my pocket
- Quickness. There is nothing really slowing down the device at all.
- WIFI - Reception is better than my galaxy s and gets better throughput than any other wifi device that i own except my computer
- Cell reception - My apartment is located next to the water and i don't get great reception in certain parts of my apartment and i get much better reception - four to three bars of hspa+!!! (I get dropped calls with my verizon bb sometimes and none for the gsii yet)
- Comes with gingerbread from the factory and updated constantly
My honeymoon period is over and there are certainly few things that they could have improved on but i'm glad i got the gs2 on the launch day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. Hope mine has no problems when it arrives on Monday!
JJEgan said:
Everything nothing is bad some can be improved is my view battery display GPS good .
My phone's part of my life - not my life
Agree but you must understand many posters love the phone as they cannot get a girlfriend .
Others are not technically minded enough to use the phone the ones who double post dont use search or read faqs must fall in to that category .
Then their are the sad ex Iphone users who need hand holding or HTC who buy a phone without sense ..
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah ah, best answer ever
Good thread. I also would like some issues to be resolved, but we all should understand one thing - with increasing complexity of devices, there will be some issues. It is bound to have certain compatibility issues with zillions of different types of formats used. There will always be some compromise made by OEM on what to put in the device - cost vs features vs weight vs thickness Etcetera...
For those who see everything in negative light, I have a solution.
deeply in love with sgs2
Its good to see some love instead of all the usual gripes and moans...
I came from an HD2 and wasnt expecting this phone to completely replace it, but it has. The HD2 is in a drawer and I dont see it coming out for a while. Feel kinda bad for it.. lol
Im loving the readers hub, saves me getting off my lazy ass to go to the newsagents that and the mind blowing speed, gorgeous screen etc etc....
Very happy with my SGS2
I was very impressed at the review posted on Android Police.
It's like they are reviewing a different tablet from the one I have.
It's a shame as people might be discouraged from buying a great product.
I personally wouldn't have bought it base on the article posted.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...iew-an-embarrassing-lazy-arrogant-money-grab/
My response (added to the comments on Android Police)
I do agree with some of the observations made by the reviewr.
However, I do like the tablet a lot, I really wasn't looking to buy a tablet when I drove to Bestbuy, but since my HTC flyer is not performing as it used to, and I love the pen, I decided to go with this one after testing it for a while.
And I have to say I like it, it's plenty fast, I do agree that the multi tasking is more a gimmick, but it's really not the reason why I bought it.
Something I do have to note, mine is not flexible at all, I was really amazed at your video. Mine will not flex or make any sounds. I does looks very plastic, but other than that I have nothing bad to say in regards to the built quality. I do miss the aluminum on my HTC flyer, but the overall construction of this device is really good.
I don't have misaligned issues or parts or corners that look out of place, it feels completely solid.
I guess that different people have different opinions and everyone has different needs or expectations for devices.
I do respect the point of view presented in this article, but also disagree with some of the observations.
I would recommend interested people to actually go and try it out yourself.
Also, something I did notice when I started playing with it, is that mine felt much more heavy compared to the one the Samsung representative had at Bestbuy.
The Samsung lady had a black one what felt surprisingly light, could it bee there is kind of a demo version?
Anyway, the only point I completely agree with reviewer is that the multitasking is only gimmick... other than that my experiences been completely different and I really love the tablet, its my first 10 inch, and my first Samsung tablet, before I had Dell, HTC, and I also own a Nexus 7.
I find the built of the Samsung to be vastly superior of that of the N7.
Read this one from GSMArena. Their very thorough as you'll see (it's 10 pages). I think a lot of reviewers are just assuming the Note's a standard G-Tab with a pen and not really spending the time to appreciate it how well it does the things tablets are primarily used for.
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_10_1-review-798.php
In all of those reviews I've been noticing that there are issues not present in retail models. I actually watched a 40min russian review on youtube and they found a lot of problems, including creaking, pen sensor not working correctly and so on. Otherwise, the review was very well done and I tend to trust the reviewer. My feeling is, some of these review units are dodgy, maybe preproduction units.
Yep I went on quite a rant in my response to the review on Android Police Google+ page. I really do not get all the negative reviews of this product.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2
Thankful
I'm just thankful I bought this tablet before reading reviews.
It's fantastic, im thinking of selling my N7, which I also love.
And yes, I agree the are testing preproduction models.
I just hate that they are missleading people which might have bought it.
I haven't used my computer since I bought this beast, I'm having exactly the same internet experience as my pc.
Without the wait of coming up out if hibernation.
One thing that really annoys me about these reviews is their assumption that HD (Infinity) and QVGA (iPad) are the *norm* now. They aren't - the vast majority of tablets in the 10.1 inch size are still 1280x800.
The reviewer is also a bit confused on some key points.
1. The Note 10.1's battery life is actually not that great. It ranks in around 8.5hrs of continuous use on video loop at 50% brightness. The Prime gets 10.5hrs. It seems what that the Note 10.1 does get right is long standby times which is actually very useful since most of us tend to use tablets in 'bursty' ways - off most of the time, then use for a bit then off for a long time.
2. His complaint about the power cord must come from not realising that Galaxy Tabs (of which the Note is one) can use the same peripherals (mostly) including the synch cable. A little digging and he could find a 6' synch/charge cable.
3. I don't have my Note yet - should be here in a few days - but I've fondled a Tab 2 10.1 and the back felt pretty sturdy. As someone else noted, they may have gotten pre-release units. As for 'everyone using aluminum" not really true. Apple does. Asus does on the Prime and Infinity only - the TF300 doesn't. And aluminum on the Prime is why it sucked... it made the GPS unusable. As for the pen feeling like a hollow rod.. if they'd made it heavier - it would have made the tablet heavier.. and you know what his comment would have been then...
4. NFC. Seriously? The lack of NFC was one of his big buttons? I have NFC on my Galaxy Nexus and it's essentially useless. And not for trying. No one else has NFC, so 'bump' is pointless. I can't use it as a credit card replacement. I can't use it to replace my office ID card. I can't find TecTiles at any store - and no one carries any other kind of NFC tokens. I CAN use it to read my British passport, but that gets kind of dull after a while.
5. Camera. This is one of those 'no way to win' things. Yes, I'd be happier if the Note had a 8MP camera. Yet everyone seems to be happy with the Nexus 7 - which has NO back camera. The back camera for me will be mostly for quicky shots and barcoding. How good is it for that? Wellll.. the reviewer was so wrapped up in not looking bad that he couldn't bring himself to test the camera - which makes him a bad reviewer.
And gee - look - once again a reviewer forgets to test GPS, WiFi and BT.
Having come from the Asus Prime disaster - the fact that almost no one here so far has posted any serious issues with the Note 10 gives me confience that this will be a good tablet.
I couldn't stand reading THST android police article. I had to stop after a while. They don't know what the hell they talking about..lol. they seem very biased. I will admit the grey version doesn't look no where near as good as the white one. I agree with THST they likely received a prproduction unit. My plastic back doesn't flex or is wavy. Plus my device right out the box performed well. They went overboard on bashing this device.
I like ASUS and will say Samsung deserves more credit on this tablet. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews also. I just got it off of reading specs, Watching unboxing videos, and Samsung promo videos on it. Those were enough to catch my interest enough to try it out. A very pleasant experience being my first Samsung tablet I've ever used.
These reviewers are too stuck on ipad3 resolutions now. Now if a tablet doesn't have 1080P or better, they write the display off as subpar. 720P is good enough for me as this display isn't your run of the mill 1280x800 dpslay. They did something with it to make it look better than other tabs with same resolution. Maybe its the color reproduction or whatever but I know this display is one of the better ones I've seen. 720P movies and videos/you tube look great on it.
Going to post my response about this here.
crystalstylez said:
See this type of review makes me really angry. Its ok if a device really sucks but you can cleary tell this guy has a personal vendetta againsr samsung/Touchwiz. I feel if you dont like something then biased opinions should be left out ans they should not review the product. Samsung has been doing touchwiz for a while now ao what made him think that this tablet would come with stock ui. I don't agree with blogs using there popularity to trash a device. Seriously with the picture of the device in the trash. Go back to the laggy xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Hmmm.
None of samsung and apple devices disappointed me.
I want buy this because of bad review.
I want check it all by myself.
I seem to remember the Asus Transformer Prime getting excellent reviews when it first came out, go figure. One of the worst tablets I ever owned. :/
The Note 10.1 is the best performing Android tablet I've owned so far, no lag at all, everything is fluid.
When did 1080p on a tablet for android become normal?
acer and asus are there any more with that resolution? cause that article makes it seem that is the normal size lol what a boring read
jobryan26 said:
Yep I went on quite a rant in my response to the review on Android Police Google+ page. I really do not get all the negative reviews of this product.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, me too, I think I spent at least 4 hours today rebutting comments on the article, on Google+, and on reddit. Most reviews miss the point of the Note completely.
Honestly, I think we users of the Note should write our own reviews, especially focusing on how we find the S Pen useful. Like really, we should make an effort to write more balanced reviews of the device and post them on Google+, reddit, etc. and try to clear up some of the misconceptions.
Does anyone else's tablet creak, because mine certainly does not. And I have yet to experience any lag while writing whatsoever, it's as close to real time as I can discern. I also noticed that if you run javascript animations in the browser while multitasking with another app open, they continue in the browser, so it's not an illusion of multitasking by any means. I can even write, with no lag, in S Note, while animations run in the browser.
---------- Post added at 11:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 PM ----------
habs101 said:
When did 1080p on a tablet for android become normal?
acer and asus are there any more with that resolution? cause that article makes it seem that is the normal size lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair, these are the only recent tablets that have come out for $500. I think the point is that at that price they expect a higher resolution, but it's like they expect the S Pen and digitizer to be free, which is incredibly naive.
I think it is good to have a bad review and a good one for the new buyers to find out whats really going on.
Re MSplit Screen
"It only works with the Browser, Polaris Office, S Note, Video Player, Gallery, Email, and that's it. None of those applications are really any good, and I would much rather use Chrome, Google Docs, YouTube, Google Talk, Twitter, and Gmail."
Its a shame to be honets.....it was the reason I wanted to but this tablet.
Do you think guys that custom Roms make it possible for Gmail, Chrome etc?
Same for this one from PC World Australia : (I cannot post direct links yet...)
pcworld.idg.com.au/article/434234/samsung_galaxy_note_10_1_android_tablet/
It seems that the guy who made this review didn't get ANY thing about this tab
qwerty1q said:
I think it is good to have a bad review and a good one for the new buyers to find out whats really going on.
Re MSplit Screen
"It only works with the Browser, Polaris Office, S Note, Video Player, Gallery, Email, and that's it. None of those applications are really any good, and I would much rather use Chrome, Google Docs, YouTube, Google Talk, Twitter, and Gmail."
Its a shame to be honets.....it was the reason I wanted to but this tablet.
Do you think guys that custom Roms make it possible for Gmail, Chrome etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the point is that the review is bad in that it's incomplete and/or misguided and/or biased, not that it's a negative review. As in, the assessment is not accurate and thus should not be used as a recommendation for or against the device. That's how I feel, anyway.
It's currently not possible for other apps, and I doubt any implementation based on the Touchwiz implementation will happen (that's a crapton of smali hacking) but I have a feeling CM10 will actually incorporate some sort of multitasking, as Cyanogen himself stated that he wanted to incorporate Onskreen Cornerstone, or at least similar functionality, into CM9 way back in February.
qwerty1q said:
Do you think guys that custom Roms make it possible for Gmail, Chrome etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding split screen... just step back and think for a short moment... and you will understand that the custom rom developers would need to heavily modify Android itself.
The display of information on the screen is a core os function. Having more than one app simultanously using the screen requires changes in the Android core. Otherweise this featute will be limited to special versions of Android (like TouchWiz) and special app using it. These special version will delay Android updates as they need to be adapted to major Android releases until they work again.
Android was designed for small screens of smartphones controlled with fingers. Starting with HC on tablets, Google should have implemented this, but it obviously did not happen.
And the feature is rarely useable on a normal smartphone...
You mean the same guys who justified the 8GB in a Nexus7 WITHOUT micro-SD card slot:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...-expandable-storage-and-why-its-for-the-best/
Those guys are pure attention-grabbers. Just check the number of comments in that review and compare it against other reviews. They were also *****ing a lot about GS3 menu choice. This is like a bimbo threatening to run naked to grab your attention and get advertisement-clicks in his article.
As I recall the reviewers HATED the Note and it went on to record sales.
You have to undertstand that tech reviewers have a couple disadvantages. Quite often they are reviewing buggy pre-release hardware. Next they tend to be spec nerds. They focus more on pure specs than does the damn thing actually work for people.
Honestly who cares what they say? If I wanted an iPad I would have bought one. Face it, by this time next year everything that is awesome now will suck by comparison.
Sent from my awesome Note 10.1
The most shocking thing in those reviews is "oh, and it has an S Pen, you can take notes with it" like it was less important than for example number of megapixels in the rear camera. Even the positive reviews mostly ignore S Pen.
Actually, when reading the review - I didn't finish it though, too annoying - the picture of one of these little dogs that tend to bark at anybody and everything kept appearing in front of my inner eye ... this Amadeo guy must be one of these short people.
I couldn't care less for NFC. And resolution, oh my. Everything about this was already stated here. I care for the pen. And that works good enough